Bewl Water Treatment Works in East Sussex is undergoing a significant £61 million upgrade, estimated to finish in 2028. This comprehensive project aims to expand storage capacity, restore the current treatment works to previous levels of production and add a new treatment facility on to the site.
Phase One is well underway and is expected to be completed in late 2026.
Below is a quick look at what we've been up to recently:
Pumps and pipelines
We're currently installing a new pipeline and have laid the base for a brand new surge vessel. This is a large tank that absorbs excess pressures that can build up in the network.
In the Pump Hall (pictured), the floor has been modified to make way for two new pumps, to help us distribute water around our network. They will be delivered soon and work will begin on building their bases and then installation. We've installed a new connection point in the existing pipework, ready for the new pumps to be linked to.
Upgrading our systems
- Works on the water inlet: One of our drum screens, a kind of filtration system, is getting a full refurbishment, and we're doing work on one of our aerators, which is being cleaned, and will have parts replaced.
- Flocculators: In this part of the system, flocculators help remove solids from the untreated water. We've updated this part of the system, replacing gearboxes and older wooden parts for new steel ones.
- Dissolved air flotation tanks: During this stage of the process we scrape solids away from the water surface. We're inspecting and cleaning the tanks one by one, and we've already replaced the scraper arms and motors on all of them.
- Granular activated carbon Vessels: In these filters, a wide range of chemicals and contaminants are removed. We have replaced part of the filtration system and have fine-tuned the controls to make sure everything runs as efficiently as possible.
- Rapid Gravity Filters: These filters rely on sand to remove further impurities from the water. The sand has been replaced in one of our tanks and the nozzles feeding the tanks have also been changed.
Borehole site
We're making good progress on the building of a new kiosk, with ground works having started in July.
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